Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was told to ignore new water protection laws for an American speculator’s gas fracking project in the Northern Territory. What’s the scam?
The scam is that the Environment Department recommended the Minister disregard widespread community concerns about water depletion when deciding to approve the latest project by American gas fracking company Tamboran Resources.
The NT Government approved Tamboran’s Shenandoah South project earlier this month, prompting outrage from community groups because it involves the drilling of 15 new gas wells and would drain more than one billion litres of groundwater over four years for the project.
This water would be mixed with up to 600,000 litres of fracking chemicals and 2,000 tonnes of sand per well and driven deep underground. Most of it would be left behind underground, and the remainder would be brought back to the surface as waste that would need to be disposed.
According to Lock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Carmel Flint,
Almost every drop of that water will be contaminated with chemicals and sent down fracking wells.
“For the Environment Minister’s department to leave this project unscrutinised by the newly expanded water trigger is an utter betrayal of Territorians who put their faith in her government at the last election and in December when this law was passed.”
Meanwhile, MWM notes that the project owner, Tamboran Resources (ASX:TBN) is doing a public float on the New York Stock Exchange, where its disclosure stated that “the company does not have the money it needs to complete the exploration project it just received approval for, let alone the up to 200 wells it plans to drill before 2026.”
Gas fracker Tamboran grabs government cash, snubs Senate, scurries off to tax haven
Kim Wingerei is a businessman turned writer and commentator. He is passionate about free speech, human rights, democracy and the politics of change. Originally from Norway, Kim has lived in Australia for 30 years. Author of ‘Why Democracy is Broken – A Blueprint for Change’.